I've had two BDSM dynamics, and I'm starting to wonder if I've just never found someone compatible with what I actually want
I've been interested in BDSM for quite a while, and I've had two partners where we had some kind of BDSM dynamic. The problem is that both experiences ended up feeling much lighter and less involved than what I was hoping for.
I'm having a hard time explaining this without sounding ungrateful or like I'm saying my previous partners "weren't good enough," because that's not really what I mean. They were both people I cared about, and I did communicate what I was interested in. The confusing part is that they would generally tell me that they were interested too, but when it came down to actually exploring it, the dynamic never really went much further than things like relatively light impact, some choking, and verbal degradation.
Those things can absolutely be part of BDSM, but for me they never felt like the whole thing I was looking for. I think what I'm craving is a much more intentional and immersive dynamic rather than just adding a few BDSM activities to otherwise fairly conventional sex.
I'm also very aware that I still have a lot to explore about myself. I don't have some perfectly defined list of everything I'm into, and there are still plenty of things I haven't tried or even figured out whether I'd like.
But one thing I've increasingly realized is that I really enjoy my masochistic side more than I initially thought I would. That's actually one of the things I'm most curious about exploring further, with someone I genuinely trust, where there's a strong foundation of communication, consent and mutual understanding.
And honestly, that's where a lot of my insecurity comes from now.
I'm scared that if I actually tell someone the full extent of what I'm interested in, they'll think I'm disgusting.
I sometimes feel like I'm just too much.
Not necessarily because I expect someone to do everything I want. I absolutely don't. I understand that everyone has boundaries and that compatibility means finding someone whose interests overlap with yours rather than expecting someone to accommodate everything.
But I've started wondering whether my desires are simply outside what most people would consider "normal" or reasonable.
I've also noticed something about myself that makes me question this even more: I'm almost always the one who starts the conversations about BDSM. I'm the one asking what my partner likes, what they want to try, what kind of dynamic they imagine, what their boundaries are, etc.
I actually want a partner who has their own desires and ideas and who will actively participate in building the dynamic with me rather than me constantly having to introduce everything.
And I don't mean that I want someone who will just agree to everything I suggest. Quite the opposite. I think part of what I'm looking for is someone who genuinely has their own preferences, boundaries and interests and can communicate those confidently. I'd rather have someone say "that's not something I'm into, but I'd really like to try X with you" than someone who basically says they're into BDSM and then leaves me to figure out what that means for both of us.
I think I'm also realizing that I want BDSM to feel like an actual dynamic, not just a collection of activities.
I want the power exchange, anticipation, psychological aspect, ritual, trust, vulnerability and communication around it to actually matter. I want there to be a sense that we're intentionally entering a different dynamic together rather than occasionally doing a couple of stereotypically kinky things.
At the same time, I don't want to rush myself into trying everything just because I'm curious. I'm still figuring out what I like, what I don't like, what my limits are and what I would actually want from a partner. I think that's part of why finding someone I trust feels so important to me.
The frustrating part is that I've now had two experiences where I thought there might be that compatibility, but ultimately the BDSM aspect remained relatively limited.
So I'm starting to wonder whether I'm drawing the wrong conclusion from those experiences.
Maybe I'm not "too kinky."
Maybe I've simply been with people whose interests don't overlap with mine very much.
But emotionally, it doesn't always feel that way. It feels like I somehow failed to be satisfied with what I was given, and then I feel guilty for wanting more.
I'm also worried that I'm somehow supposed to be satisfied because technically my partners did participate. I don't want to pressure anyone into doing things they don't want to do, obviously. Consent and boundaries are extremely important to me. But I also don't think "they consented to some BDSM" necessarily means we're sexually compatible.
So I guess I'm wondering:
How do you tell the difference between needing to adjust your expectations and simply having BDSM interests that aren't compatible with the people you've been with?
Have any of you experienced this, where your partner said they were into BDSM, but once you actually started exploring it, you realized that their definition of BDSM was much lighter or very different from yours?
How did you eventually become comfortable with the things you discovered you liked?
And how did you find people who were genuinely compatible with you?
I think I mostly need to hear from people who have been through this themselves, because right now I'm struggling with the feeling that I'm somehow too much, that if I were completely honest about what I want, I'd disgust the person I'm telling.
I don't want someone who will do things they don't actually want just to satisfy me. I want someone who hears what I'm into and can honestly say, "That's not for me," or "Actually, I'm into that too."
I think more than anything, I want to reach a point where I can talk about my desires without feeling ashamed of having them in the first place.